We live in a world where people and dogs are inseparable but that hasn’t stopped some people from being incredibly cruel to the animals in their lives. This includes a sweet little puppy named Riona, who was abused beyond belief.
Last year, Riona suffered more than any dog should ever have to do because her owner set her on fire. Just a year after the incident, however, she is back on her feet again and ready to go to her forever home.
Residents of Nutbush, Tennessee witnessed what was happening last year when the pitbull mix, Riona was running down the street in flames. It was easy to tell that she had been set on fire intentionally because they could smell the gasoline.
According to Mallory Mclemore of Bluff City Veterinary Specialists: “All you could smell was gas.”
The founder of the rescue that helped Riona, Ginger Natoli added the following: “She was burnt and covered in diesel fuel… It confirmed she was set on fire via witness statements. We have obtained ring cam footage from a neighbor that also shows her running in a ball of flames.”
After taking her to the rescue, they were able to save her left eye but her ear was burnt off. She received medical treatments and was given full body wraps twice a day to protect her skin.
Millions of people saw a now-viral TikTok video that shared her story and worldwide, she became a sensation. It took a long time for her to recover, including skin graphs because of the 4th° burns on her body.
Riona was traumatized as a result of the abuse but she was strong during her recovery.
Mclemore said: “She’s just always wagging her tail. That’s what makes it even worse, I guess. Not that it would ever be OK, but just being so sweet and for somebody to do something like this to her. She just loves everybody.”
Natoli added: “She’s actually kind of cute with one ear. It makes her personality cute”
43-year-old Quishon Brown was arrested for setting the dog on fire. He was charged with two felonies, misdemeanor assault, and specifically; aggravated cruelty to animals and setting fire to personal property. He is currently waiting for trial.
It took months but she has improved significantly. Now that a year has passed, there is an update and that is the fact that she has a new forever home.
A 10-hour road trip is in order to bring Riona to her new family.
Natoli said: “Our goal was to get her a forever home, and that’s exactly what we found. Riona has other dogs to play with, she has children to play with, she’s got a big yard to play in, she’s got a family that has experience in the medical field and an understanding of what her injuries were.”
It’s amazing when people work together to help for the greater good.